The Boston Bruins have been a dominant team for the better part of two decades. There were some retooling years in the mid 2010s, which was around the time the Montreal Canadiens were starting to go through a lull in their organization. The Canadiens missed the playoffs in six of the past nine seasons, while the Bruins made it in eight straight and 15 of their past 17 seasons. The last time the Bruins failed to reach the postseason but the Canadiens did was in the 2014-15 season.
Montreal Canadiens' 2014-15 season
The Canadiens lost some key pieces heading into the 2014-15 season, notably Brian Gionta and Josh Gorges. However, as the skaters underwent an overhaul, Carey Price finally settled in as the league's top goaltender and one of the premier superstars. The Canadiens overachieved that season on the back of Price, who won the Hart Memorial Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, and Vezina Trophy.
Max Pacioretty led the team with 67 points, while Tomas Plekanec and PK Subban tied for second with 60. The Canadiens would win the Atlantic Division with a 50-22-10 record, which was punctuated by their stellar 26-9-6 record at the Bell Centre.
The 2015 playoffs featured a first-round matchup with the Ottawa Senators. The Canadiens won the first three games before the offense faltered in the following two games. However, PrIce earned a shutout in Game 6 to bring the team to the second round.
The second round didn't go as smoothly, with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the first three games to put the Canadiens in a hole. Much like the Ottawa series, Montreal stormed back to win the next two games but then lost in Game 6.
Boston Bruins 2014-15 season
The 2014-15 season was the breaking point for the Bruins' core, as the offseason would see them trade both Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton in seperate deals. It was a well-needed on-the-fly retool, which the Bruins are hopeful they can pull off again a decade later in the 2025 offseason. The Bruins would miss the playoffs again the following season, but then went on a eight-year streak.
The offense faltered for the Bruins in 2014-15, with their leading scorer being Patrice Bergeron with 55 points. The next highest was Loui Eriksson with 47, which further necessitated their desire for a retool. It was also the first season of the David Pastrnak era for the Bruins.
The Bruins finished in ninth in the Eastern Conference. It was clear the losses of Shawn Thornton and Johnny Boychuk upset the vibes in the locker room, and Boston paid for it for two years until they got things back on track.